Category: Life

I highly recommend You to read Jasky Singh experience about reading news. I stopped watching tv news, listening to news radio and reading newspapers for the same reason.

On top of that he shares a story I want to quote:

As our business was in its growth trajectory, we were looking to hire a talented sales consultant. One who really had a desire to make a difference.

We were down to two seemingly brilliant candidates.

So, they were both hired for a one-day trial. In this trial each was given a list of potential clients they needed to contact and show how well they could develop a relationship

(they didn’t know they were both given the same list).

Furthermore, they didn’t know that the list of clients they were given weren’t real clients.

They were people we had recruited to play a specific role. Which was to be blunt, show no interest what so ever, be frustrated, and in a mad rush.

I had a debriefing with each consultant individually after this trial.

“That went really bad”.

“Everyone is rude, miserable, and just too difficult to convince. No one needs our help or wants what we have to offer!” the first consultant told me.

The second one was the complete opposite. He said, “That went amazing! It was such a good challenge. I learnt more in that one day on objections and developing relationships than I have in any other role, it was really exciting!”

Your morning routine is key to Your success, to reach Your goals. What do You do in Your first hour could change the way You look at Your new day and help You to be more focused, happier, more successful. Do You think it’s BS?

Cut the “miracle” part and The miracle morning book is full of tips to improve Your habits, starting from the first morning. You can read some highlights I took from my Kindle. Ar You ready to improve Yourself?

By doing personal development in the morning, I wouldn’t have all of the excuses that accumulate during the day (I’m tired, I don’t have time, etc.) If I did it in the morning, before the rest of my life and my work got in the way, I could guarantee that it happened every single day.

I wrote down all of the most life-changing personal development practices that I had learned over the years, but never implemented—at least never consistently. Activities like meditation, affirmations, journaling, visualization, as well as reading and exercise.

One of the saddest things in life is to get to the end and look back in regret, knowing that you could have been, done, and had so much more. —ROBIN SHARMA

According to the Social Security Administration, if you take any 100 people at the start of their working careers and follow them for the next 40 years until they reach retirement age, here’s what you’ll find: only 1 will be wealthy; 4 will be financially secure; 5 will continue working, not because they want to but because they have to; 36 will be dead; and 54 will be broke and dependent on friends, family, relatives, and the government to take care of them. Monetarily speaking, that’s only 5% of us who will be successful in creating a life of freedom, and 95% who will continue to struggle their entire lives.

We must embrace the fact that if we don’t commit to thinking and living differently than most people now, we are setting ourselves up to endure a life of mediocrity, struggle, failure and regret—just like most people.

If you ask the average person what their life purpose is, you will get a funny look or a response like “Gee, I dunno.” What if I asked you? What would you say? The average person can’t articulate their life purpose—the compelling “why” that drives them to wake up every day and do whatever it takes to fulfill their mission in life.

Rather, the average person takes life one day at a time, and has no higher purpose beyond merely surviving.

Most people just focus on getting through the day, taking the path of least resistance, and pursuing short term, short-lived pleasures along the way, while avoiding any pain or discomfort that might cause them to grow.

a universal life purpose that I believe we should all live by: to become the best version of ourselves. In other words, focus on growing and being the best you can be, pursuing your dreams and inspiring others to do the same.

the real impact and consequence of each of our choices and actions—and even our thoughts—is monumental, because every single thought, choice, and action is determining who we are becoming, which will ultimately determine the quality of our lives.

Every time you choose to do the easy thing, instead of the right thing, you are shaping your identity, becoming the type of person who does what’s easy, rather than what’s right.

who you’re becoming is far more important than what you’re doing, and yet it is what you’re doing that is determining who you’re becoming.

The link between success and accountability is irrefutable.

It gives them the leverage they need to take action and create results, even when they don’t feel like it.

Virtually every positive result you and I produced from birth to age eighteen was thanks to the accountability provided for us by the adults in our lives (parents, teachers, bosses, etc.) Vegetables got eaten, homework was completed, teeth were brushed, we bathed and got to bed at a reasonable hour.

Accountability has brought order to our lives and allowed us to progress, improve and achieve results we wouldn’t have otherwise.

we virtually become like the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Who you spend your time with may be the single most determining factor in the person you become and in your quality of life.

It is often said that “misery loves company”, but so does mediocrity.

now matters more than any other time in your life, because it’s what you are doing today that is determining who you’re becoming, and who you’re becoming will always determine the quality and direction of your life.

Mediocrity has nothing to do with how you compare to other people; it’s simply a result of not making the commitment to continuously learn, grow, and improve yourself. Whereas being extraordinary—which leads to extraordinary levels of success—is a result of choosing to learn, grow, and be just a little bit better each day than you’ve been in the past.

Christine Kane has an excellent blog on How To Make A Vision Board as well as a free eBook titled The Complete Guide To Vision Boards. Both are available on her website at http://www.ChristineKane.com.

If you don’t make time for exercise, you’ll probably have to make time for illness. —ROBIN SHARMA

person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read. —MARK TWAIN

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body and prayer is to the soul. We become the books we read. —MATTHEW KELLY

My favorite form of Scribing is journaling, which I do for 5-10 minutes during my Miracle Morning. By getting your thoughts out of your head and putting them in writing, you gain valuable insights you’d otherwise never see. The Scribing element of your Miracle Morning enables you to document your insights, ideas, breakthroughs, realizations, successes, and lessons learned, as well as any areas of opportunity, personal growth, or improvement.

Writing in a journal each day, with a structured, strategic process (more on that in a minute) allows you to direct your focus to what you did accomplish, what you’re grateful for, and what you’re committed to doing better tomorrow. Thus, you more deeply enjoy your journey each day, feel good about any forward progress you made, and use a heightened level of clarity to accelerate your results.

Every day, think as you wake up, ‘Today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.’ —DALAI LAMA

Unplug and sleep: that is the new mantra of health conscious people. If You are able to disconnect and sleep properly You can achieve better results and have a better day. Many hotels and resorts are developing new services to help You to do that. Here is a short list of the best 26 hotels and resorts around the world.

VILLA STÉPHANIE (BADEN-BADEN, GERMANY)
Here you can choose a room that allows you to flip a switch and shut off all online connections to the room. Maybe someday this will be standard in all hotels—and homes.

MOUNT SNOW RESORT (WEST DOVER, VERMONT)
To get parents and kids working together toward better sleep, this hotel offers a Family Camp package where mobile devices are highly discouraged. Wi-Fi is available only in the camp’s main lodge, and most rooms are Wi-Fi-free. Camp staff encourages families to put down their devices and enjoy games, water sports, chef-made meals, and the great outdoors.

PETIT ST. VINCENT ISLAND AND RESORT (PETIT ST. VINCENT)
All accommodations at this Grenadine island resort are free of telephones, television, and Wi-Fi. Guests use a flag system to signal for room service or any other service (including, presumably, requests for more flags?).

RIVERPLACE HOTEL (PORTLAND, OREGON)
The RiverPlace Hotel in Portland offers a service where you can check your smartphones, tablets, and laptops in a safe and in exchange receive truffles, a private bath butler who personally draws a bath with amenities such as bath oil and salts, and wine (which you can use to toast being unplugged and in the moment).

AKA (NEW YORK, NEW YORK)
If you find yourself in need of an extended stay in New York for business or pleasure, AKA’s four Manhattan properties have partnered with the New York University School of Medicine Sleep Disorders Center and the New York Sleep Institute to have experts available for in-room sleep screenings. Complimentary features of the Sleep Institute include in-room light boxes, blackout curtains, and sleep seminars on topics such as bedtime routines.

THE BODYHOLIDAY (CASTRIES CITY, ST. LUCIA)
At this Caribbean island getaway, a two-day Sleep Restoration Program offers a range of massage, bodywork, aromatherapy, and nutritional counseling to send you back home with better sleep habits.

THE HERMITAGE HOTEL (NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE)
The pillow menu here isn’t just an afterthought amenity, it’s a passion. If the goose-down, buckwheat, latex-foam, and memory-foam pillows waiting in your room aren’t enough, call for reinforcements: neck pillows, body pillows, water pillows, reading pillows, leg pillows, diamond-filled pillows (okay, the last one is made up).

FAIRMONT VANCOUVER AIRPORT (VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA)
Nothing quite says terrible night’s sleep like an airport hotel. But this one, within the busy Vancouver International Airport and a two-minute walk from the baggage-claim carousels, has soundproofed rooms with triple-paned windows.

GRAND RESORT BAD RAGAZ (BAD RAGAZ, SWITZERLAND)
In Switzerland, while you’re at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, you can get a thorough sleep diagnosis that includes an EEG, respiration monitoring, and blood-oxygen-level readings, all of which its medical staff will analyze and then make recommendations for how you can improve your sleep.

MIRAVAL RESORT & SPA (TUCSON, ARIZONA)
This property in Tucson features Definity Digital Good Night LED bulbs, which reduce blue-light exposure to better maintain your body’s natural sleep cycle. The resort consulted with a sleep specialist to outfit rooms with the bulbs, which use the same light-filtering technology developed for astronauts in space.

KAMALAYA KOH SAMUI (KOH SAMUI, THAILAND)
Kamalaya’s Sleep Enhancement program is for guests who are serious about renewing their relationship with sleep. Since that takes time, the hotel asks for a five-night minimum commitment. Influenced by traditional Chinese medicine, the program takes you through a range of therapies and treatments—from acupuncture, yoga, and herbal foot baths to Ayurvedic massages—all designed to help you develop healthy sleep habits that will stay with you long after you head home.

LIBRARY HOTEL COLLECTION (NEW YORK, NEW YORK; BUDAPEST, HUNGARY; PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC)
This line of four boutique hotels in Manhattan (with additional locations in Budapest and Prague) offers a carefully curated Escape to Serenity program, where you can request a range of complimentary items that help you prepare for sleep, such as fleece blankets, feather-bed mattress toppers, hypoallergenic Micro Gel fiber pillows, and headphones that emit soothing sounds as you fall asleep.

LORIEN HOTEL & SPA (ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA)
Here guests find a “dream button” on their room phone that lets them choose from the Dream Service Menu. There are scent diffusers to relieve tension, bedtime books for a calming lullaby read, and sleep masks to block the outside world. Choose from an extensive list of pillows, including a magnetic pillow that reduces swelling.

PARK HYATT TOKYO (TOKYO, JAPAN)
Here guests are invited to prepare for bed with a complimentary Good Night Sleep Stretch. Guided by a physical trainer, the thirty-minute session uses stretching, essential oils, and herbal tea to help guests unwind in a scenic studio forty-seven stories above the busy city. You’ll also practice breathing exercises to loosen your muscles and prepare for rest.

PARK HYATT BEAVER CREEK RESORT AND SPA (BEAVER CREEK, COLORADO)
Working with sleep expert Nancy Rothstein, Beaver Creek has introduced the Sound Sleep Initiatives to improve sleep for guests and employees alike. There’s a TV channel dedicated to sleep (with music composed by sleep expert Jeffrey Thompson), slumber kits including eye masks and earplugs, relaxing massages, and a “sleep elixir” with chamomile and apple cider to help guests power down.

SIX SENSES HOTELS RESORTS SPAS
With properties all over the world, Six Senses offers a Yogic Sleep program for guests, focusing on yoga nidra, the sleeplike state that yogis enter during meditation. Rooms are set to the optimal temperature for deep sleep, and “pillow mist” aromatherapy products and relaxing music are part of the guest experience. Guests receive a sleep journal to clear the mind, prepare for the day ahead, or log thoughts on their trip, as well as a guide filled with sleep tips to take home.

SWISSÔTEL BERLIN (BERLIN, GERMANY)
Good sleep habits follow you throughout the day at Swissôtel Berlin, a luxury property on one of the city’s most hectic streets. Book the DeepSleep Package to awaken with a “power drink” that includes maté tea and a bright-light lamp session to energize your body for the day. Aromatherapy, calming drinks, and specialized “sound pillows” with brain-wave-calming beats help you wind down.

CORINTHIA HOTEL LONDON (LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM)
The Corinthia Hotel London wants to make sleep the main event of your stay. If you book its “Sumptuous Sleep Retreat,” you get the expertise of a sleep professional, a nutritionist, and a chef in addition to blackout curtains, a choice of pillows, and white-noise machines. The retreat also includes a 120-minute sleep ritual that includes a foot massage and hot-stone scalp massage, specifically designed to reduce stress after a day of travel and technology immersion.

CROWNE PLAZA HOTELS & RESORTS
For its Crowne Plaza Hotels, the InterContinental Hotel Group has created a Sleep Advantage program, so that guests who seek peace and quiet can be grouped together on “quiet zone” floors. In addition to like-minded sleep-loving neighbors, the zones have reduced housekeeping and engineering activity. Guests also receive sleep kits with lavender sprays and, in some rooms, special headboards that are padded and curved to significantly reduce noise.

FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts developed its own custom heat-absorbing Simmons mattress, with a stabilizing feature to keep you still when your partner gets up or moves during the night. Four Seasons also soundproofs each of its rooms by placing heating and cooling systems in the ceiling to reduce noise, insulating walls and doors, and utilizing headboard-to-headboard room layouts (so TV noise does not disturb guests in the next room). It also offers a sleep-focused turndown service in which a staffer will dim the lights, adjust the temperature to a sleep-friendly zone, and put on soft music. But don’t expect a chocolate on your pillow. Four Seasons has replaced the traditional treat (because of the caffeine and sugar) with herbal tea and other sleep-friendly amenities.

HILTON HOTELS AND RESORTS
Hilton’s Canopy bed is the result of a partnership with Serta, with fabric that regulates heat flow. Given that sleeping in a cooler environment leads to better rest, the bed also incorporates memory foam infused with Serta’s MicroSupport gel to reduce pressure and therefore reduce heat buildup in the body overnight. And guests can purchase the bed.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL
In 2013, Marriott opened a 10,000-square-foot lab in Bethesda, Maryland, where the hotel chain can try out various room and bed layouts. Guests who stay at the company’s JW Marriott properties can select the Nightly Refresh Program. The “curated turndown service” includes Revive Oil, an essential oil that JW Marriott provides in partnership with Aromatherapy Associates.

MGM GRAND LAS VEGAS HOTEL & CASINO (LAS VEGAS, NEVADA)
At the MGM Grand Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Delos, a wellness real estate company, collaborated with the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Deepak Chopra to pioneer Stay Well hotel rooms, which feature air purification, vitamin C–infused showers, aromatherapy, a healthy menu, and special lighting timed to circadian rhythms. “Light levels,” Paul Scialla, the founder of Delos, says, “constitute one of the most powerful external cues the body uses to align its circadian rhythms with the solar day.” So Stay Well rooms feature soft, warm white lighting to minimize disruption to circadian rhythms, subtle red lighting at night that does not suppress melatonin, dawn simulators to wake guests naturally, and, in the morning, an energizing light that has the effect of sunlight.

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS
In 2011, Starwood, the parent company of Westin Hotels & Resorts, opened an 11,000-square-foot lab in Stamford, Connecticut, where it has tested lighting technology that could help guests sleep better. Its researchers are also testing how the feeling of natural surroundings affects our sleep. This involves walls covered with patterns that mimic a leafy forest, curtains with images of dragonfly wings, and terrariums in rooms.
Some sleep-friendly features at the Westin are already on the market, such as its Heavenly Bed, so beloved that the hotel has sold one hundred thousand of them. The Heavenly Bed features an all-white design, three-hundred-thread-count Egyptian cotton bedding, five pillows, three sheets, and a custom-designed mattress.

Get involved means cooperating, contributing, taking part. Not watching from the sidelines while someone else has your life for you. Getting involved means rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty but having an experience along the way, a real experience. Getting involved means joining in, offering help, volunteering, turning a theoretical interest into a real one, being out there and talking to people. Getting involved means having fun, real fun, not TV fun. Getting involved means helping other people appreciate and enjoy their lives a bit more than they would have done without you.

We have to feed and water these online relationships by responding to instant messages and tweets, by staying on top of the seemingly endless information at our fingertips, and by producing worthwhile online material. And there are only so many hours in the day … Or so we tell ourselves. Really, it flatters our egos to believe we are indispensable. The rumble of a phone, a text message or an invite to an event makes us feel we’re part of something. Unfortunately, the rewards are as difficult to predict as the weather, and it’s this that keeps us obsessively checking in.

Vagabonding is not to be confused with a mere vacation, where the only goal is escape. With escape in mind, vacationers tend to approach their holiday with a grim resolve, determined to make their experience live up to their expectations; on the vagabonding road, you prepare for the long haul knowing that the predictable and the unpredictable, the pleasant and the unpleasant are not separate but part of the same ongoing reality.

When we are not experts and we don’t have time to compare and choose rationally among options, the best choice is often to do nothing. Because novices are prone to make the wrong move, the right move is often no move at all. Even the world’s leading experts are novices some of the time, and when that happens they often should do nothing.

If we are novices, by the time we have only seconds left to make a decision, it is often too late. The best decisions made in time-pressured situations are those we have prepared for in advance. The real challenge is to anticipate those situations in which we, as experts, might suddenly become novices, and then train for those scenarios.

Every day now, I wonder if I’m spending enough time with my family. If I’m having enough fun. If I’m enjoying my work, and if I’m making a difference. I feel like a man who’s been given a death sentence. I’m not kidding. Someone asks me to spend an hour doing something stupid and I resent it. That’s an hour I won’t get back. What are you doing with the time you have?

What follows has been in draft for 2 years but it could still be useful so I am going to publish it. My digital collection has now “only” 2250 ebooks and I gave away many more paper books in this time frame.

I am not alone thinking about how to make my books collection live again. I love books, paper or digital, don’t get me wrong, but I am not attached to any object neither books. Last week I deleted nearly 5000 ebooks from my collection, crap, duplicates and books I’ll never read so now I have more than 6500 ones.

My books collection (in paper) is not so big but, since a couple of years, I decided “one in, ine out”. I still have some space but I don’t like to collect books I’ll never read or to keep books I would like other people could read. For these reasons I like to donate my read books to friends and to the local library. 95% of the times You’ll not read them again and they’ll not be of any reference, especially technical books or internet related books so… why should I keep them?

Becoming minimalist has also some useful tips if You are not still convinced it’s a good thing.